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Anonymous Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

Isn't "are" needless?

I think the "are" in the following sentence needless. As a non-native speaker of English, this sentence is rather difficult to understand grammatically. Please give me any information how it goes well in English language.

The building up of a taste for those books which genuinely discriminating readers have decided, generation after generation, are worthy of preservation, is gradual.
  

Top answer

You are right: structurally, are is confusing if not unnecessary (' decided worthy ' is a little muddy). In any case, the sentence is rather difficult to follow. Though not incorrect, it could benefit from a bit better styling: The building up of a taste for those books which generations of genuinely discriminating readers have deemed worthy of preservation is gradual.

— Mister Micawber

  • You are right: structurally, are is confusing if not unnecessary (' decided worthy ' is a little muddy).
  • In any case, the sentence is rather difficult to follow.
  • Though not incorrect, it could benefit from a bit better styling: The building up of a taste for those books which generations of genuinely discriminating readers have deemed worthy of preservation is gradual.
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1 Answers
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You are right: structurally, are is confusing if not unnecessary ('decided worthy' is a little muddy). In any case, the sentence is rather difficult to follow. Though not incorrect, it could benefit from a bit better styling:

The building up of a taste for those books which generations of genuinely discriminating readers have deemed worthy of preservation is gradual.
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